The Veteran's service-connected left knee disability is characterized by swelling, extension to zero degrees, flexion to 90 degrees with complaints of pain, and moderate lateral degenerative changes. The Board finds the preponderance of the evidence does not show severe instability or any other condition warranting a higher rating.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's left knee disability is currently evaluated as 20 percent disabling under DC 5257 for recurrent subluxation or lateral instability, which is appropriate given his symptoms and examination findings. The Board did not find evidence of severe instability or any other condition warranting a higher rating.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) of the left knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- February 18, 2010
- Citation
- 1005979
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1005979.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied an increased disability rating in excess of 10 percent for left knee DJD from October 1, 2008 to August 30, 2010 due to the lack of evidence showing limitation of flexion or extension that would warrant a higher rating.
- Granted
The Board granted an initial 30 percent rating for the Veteran's service-connected DJD of the left knee and left knee lateral instability, from December 15, 2009, to September 5, 2014.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter to obtain a new VA medical opinion regarding the severity of the left knee DJD without the ameliorative effects of medication during the limited appeal period.
- Partly granted
The Board denied increased ratings for DJD and instability of both knees but granted separate 20 percent ratings for dislocated semilunar cartilage in the left and right knees.
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